14 November 2026

Vienna Opera Ball 2027: Five Designers Preview the Season's Ball Gowns

Michel Mayer with two models wearing evening gowns at the Vienna Opera Ball fashion presentation.

Image: Michel Mayer (Michaela Mayer-Lee) with two models wearing her eveningwear designs at the AUFTAKT ball-gown presentation for the Vienna Opera Ball 2027, Vienna State Opera, 11 November 2026. © Katharina Schiffl

Quick Read

• The Vienna State Opera hosted its first AUFTAKT ball-gown presentation on 11 November 2026.
• Five Austrian designers presented around 60 creations in the opera house's Marble Hall.
• Dancers from the Vienna State Ballet joined models on the catwalk, bringing movement into the presentation of the gowns.
• The participating designers were Thang de Hoo, Femme Maison, Michel Mayer, Eva Poleschinski and Wabisabi Vintage Kimono Fashion.
• The event offered a preview of Austrian ball fashion ahead of the 69th Vienna Opera Ball on 4 February 2027. Its artistic theme has not yet been announced.

A new fashion event for the Opera Ball

The event, officially titled AUFTAKT – Ballroben-Defilee, took place on Wednesday, 11 November, in the Marble Hall of the Vienna State Opera. Conceived as a new event ahead of the 2027 Opera Ball, it brought Austrian eveningwear into the setting of one of Vienna's most recognisable cultural institutions. Around 250 invited guests attended the first edition. Approximately 60 creations by five Austrian designers were presented by models and dancers from the Vienna State Ballet. The combination made the catwalk more than a conventional fashion presentation: the dancers demonstrated how fabrics, cuts and silhouettes change with the movement of the body.

Five different approaches to ball fashion

The selection offered a range of interpretations of formal eveningwear.
Thang de Hoo presented sculptural silhouettes, graphic black-and-white contrasts, vivid red and sequins. His designs drew on the glamour associated with classic Hollywood.
Femme Maison, the Vienna label founded by Franziska Fürpass, focused on flowing silk chiffon, hand-finished details and feminine silhouettes. Some of the dresses required up to twelve metres of lightweight fabric.
Michel Mayer, the label of designer Michaela Mayer-Lee, showed finely draped evening gowns. The designs use the interaction between cut, fabric and body movement as an essential part of their appearance.
Eva Poleschinski combined selections from her latest couture collection with characteristic designs from previous collections. More than 200 metres of fabric were used for the creations presented.
Wabisabi Vintage Kimono Fashion, by Vera Redlich, introduced a different textile tradition. The designer transforms historical Japanese wedding kimonos into individual couture pieces, giving the original fabrics and their elaborate patterns a new context.

Jewellery by Wagner accompanied the outfits. Nine students from the Modeschule Hetzendorf assisted backstage with the changes between presentations.

Michel Mayer's connection to Netflix's The Empress

One of the designers also has a connection to an internationally successful television production. Michaela Mayer-Lee, known for her Vienna label Michel Mayer, worked with costume specialist Monika Ferrari-Krieger under their joint label Costumes Couture on Netflix's historical drama The Empress. Their work contributed to the elaborate historical wardrobe of the series, which tells the story of Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph. This included important garments associated with Elisabeth, such as her wedding dress. Gabriela Reumer was the production's principal costume designer, while Costumes Couture contributed to the making of the costumes.
The third and final season premiered on Netflix on 12 November 2026. Its release brings renewed attention to the craftsmanship involved in the series, connecting Viennese couture with the international visibility of historical costume design.

Beethoven in New York, but what about Vienna?

The AUFTAKT presentation also raises a question about the forthcoming Opera Ball. The 69th Vienna Opera Ball will take place on 4 February 2027, but the Vienna State Opera has not yet announced its artistic theme or opening programme. Meanwhile, the independently organised Viennese Opera Ball in New York has already announced its musical focus for 2027. Its 71st edition, scheduled for 30 April at Cipriani 42nd Street, will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death, with the composer's Ode to Joy at its centre. The New York event is a charity gala with its own organisation and is not affiliated with the Vienna Opera Ball.
Whether Beethoven will also feature in the artistic programme in Vienna remains to be seen. For now, AUFTAKT offers a more concrete preview of the 2027 season: five different perspectives on Austrian ball fashion, from sculptural eveningwear and flowing couture to designs drawing on historical Japanese textiles.